764 Naval Air Squadron

Supermarine Walrus of the type used by 746 NAS

764 Naval Air Squadron formed on the 8 April 1940, as an Advance Seaplane Training Squadron, at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), situated near Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire. It was equipped with Walrus amphibian aircraft, Seafox and Swordfish floatplanes.[6] When the trainees had passed the conversion course at Lee-on Solent they boarded the seaplane carrier, HMS Pegasus, for catapult training.[7]

Lodger facilities, for a RN Air Section at RAF Pembroke Dock, a Royal Air Force Seaplane and Flying Boat station located at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales, were granted to the Royal Navy and 764 NAS moved there on the 3 July 1940, leaving behind its Seafox aircraft.[8] From August 1940, the squadron was providing the Seaplane Flying Training Course Part II (765 NAS provided part I, where the Seafoxes ended up).[7] Around May 1941, aircraft from 764 NAS started using Lawrenny Ferry, a Royal Naval established seaplane facility used to train Fleet Air Arm pilots in the art of flying seaplanes, which was situated 3 miles north east of Pembroke Docks on the north side of the junction of the Cresswell and Carew rivers.[9]

The Swordfish floatplanes were withdrawn in September 1941.[7] However, in response to Luftwaffe air raids on Pembroke Docks, in October 1941 the Air Section was withdrawn and 764 NAS moved to RNAS Lawrenny Ferry. It arrived with eight Walrus and one Swordfish floatplane, which was soon withdrawn and the Walrus was the main eaircraft operated. In July 1942, Kingfisher aircraft arrived.[9] The need for Seaplane Training had diminished by the middle of 1943 and eventually 764 NAS disbanded at RNAS Lawrenny Ferry on 7 November 1943.[7]

764 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RAF Gosport, situated in Gosport, Hampshire, England, on 19 February 1944, as the User Trials Unit. It was initially equipped with three Barracuda II and three Avenger II aircraft. On the 1 July 1944, the squadron moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), located near Lee-on-the-Solent, in Hampshire and immediately a ’B’ flight was formed as a Tactician Trials flight. This flight was equipped with Firebrand aircraft.

A further detachment from 764 NAS then operated out of RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), constructed close to Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Its designated role was a Torpedo Trials Flight. In September 1944, on completion of net defence trials in the river Clyde, this detachment was absorbed into 778 Naval Air Squadron. On the 1 October 1944, 'B' flight was re-designated 708 Naval Air Squadron. In June 1945, the squadron received Firefly aircraft, however, approximately three months later, 764 NAS disbanded on the 1 September 1945.[7]

764 Naval Air Squadron reformed, out of 'A' Flight of 766 Naval Air Squadron, on the 18 May 1953, as an Advanced Training Squadron at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland. It was equipped initially with Seafire and Firefly aircraft.[7] The squadron provided training for Part 1 of the Operational Flying School course.[10] 764 NAS remained at Lossiemouth for four months, relocating to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in Somerset, on the 23 September 1953.[11]

The squadron received its first jet aircraft in May 1954[7] when it added three Sea Hawk[10] to operate alongside its piston engined, thirteen Seafire and six Firefly aircraft.[7] 764 NAS continued in its training role at Yeovilton for a further five months, disbanding there on the 23 November 1954.[11]

764 Naval Air Squadron reformed, on the 1 February 1955, at RNAS Ford,[11] located at Ford, in West Sussex, England, as a Fighter Pilot Holding Unit.[7] Here it was equipped with Sea Hawk, Sea Vampire and later Wyvern aircraft.[12] 764 NAS initially worked with ten Sea Hawk and ten Sea Vampire aircraft, and these enabled the squadron to provide conversion for United States trained personnel to British standards and procedures where required, and to provide valuable flying time to Fleet Air Arm pilots prior their posting to a first-line squadron.[7] With the Sea Vampire being dual controlled, this also enabled the squadron to provide tuition for fighter combat and ground attack techniques. In May 1955, the squadron received two Wyvern aircraft.[10] On the 1 March 1956, 767 Naval Air Squadron, formed as a Fighter Pool Squadron[12] from part of 764 NAS and was equipped with some of the 764 NAS Sea Hawk F.2 aircraft, however, in the same month, 764 NAS received Sea Hawk FB.3 aircraft. For nearly two years the Wyvern aircraft were being used for type conversion training, however, in February 1957, this part of the squadron became an independent Wyvern Conversion Flight.[7]

764 Naval Air Squadron moved, on the 21 June 1957, to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland.[12] It took with it its Sea Hawk FB.3 aircraft and in the July it received Sea Hawk FGA.4.[7] The Squadron acquired four roles at Lossiemouth and these were, Air Weapons Training, a Commanding Officers and Senior Pilots Designate Course, a Jet Fighter Pool and a Target Towing Unit.[3] 764 NAS operated out of RNAS Lossiemouth's satellite airfield, RNAS Milltown, located about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north east of Elgin, Scotland.[7]

In December 1957, 764 NAS received two-seat Meteor trainer aircraft, however, these were soon withdrawn from the squadron, in March 1958. Later in the year, in October, it started operating Sea Hawk FGA.6[7] and then in the December two-seat Hunter trainer aircraft arrived.[10] 1959 saw considerable change in the aircraft operated by 764 NAS, in February, a small number of Scimitar aircraft arrived, however, these were gone in the following May.[7] The Sea Hawk aircraft were withdrawn by the July, therefore, by August, the squadron was equipped solely with twelve Hunter T.8 aircraft.[10]

Hawker Hunter GA.11, XE689, has three spells with 764 NAS between 1963 and 1972.

In March 1959, the squadron's role changed. It retained only the Commanding Officers and Senior Pilots Designates Course from before and its new main role was Air Warfare Instructor Training,[7] but also providing a swept wing conversion course, to the Hunter T.8 aircraft.[10] In July 1962, 764 NAS received a number of Hunter GA.11 aircraft which replaced several Hunter T.8 aircraft.[7] Reconnaissance cameras were fitted to three Hunter GA.11 aircraft, by Short Brothers, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the mid-1960's, thus becoming Hunter PR.11 aircraft.[10] On the 26 March 1965 764B Naval Air Squadron was formed, out of the disbanding 736 Naval Air Squadron, absorbing its Scimitar aircraft. 764B had been formed to provide training to Airwork pilots to fly the Scimitar aircraft, however, it disbanded in the November having completed the training.[7] In 1968 the main 764 NAS received Hunter T.8B and T.8C aircraft.[10]

On the 27 July 1972, 764 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at Lossiemouth.[11]

764 Naval Air Squadron reformed at HMS Sultan, in Gosport, Hampshire, on the 1 October 2008, as the Initial Training Squadron, within the Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS),[5] simulating a squadron environment for training purposes.[2]

• Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
• Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2.
• Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.
• Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7509 9303 6.